As part of the Australian Building Codes Board’s (ABCB) commitment to delivering a National Construction Code (NCC) that is user-friendly and modern, important changes are being implemented for the 2022 edition of the code.
In moving from what was historically a print-based publication, to what will become an innovative and agile digital product, the next phase of improvements are primarily to the code’s structure and format. These improvements are being implemented following considerable analysis, research and consultation with key industry groups, and do not change the intent of the code in any way.
The changes form part of the ABCB’s overall long-term strategy to improve useability of the code, and have been designed with NCC users in mind. This needs to have regard to those who are relatively new to the industry and becoming familiar with the NCC as a technical regulatory instrument, those who are using it in their studies and will therefore be future users of the product, as well as those who have been in the business for some time and are therefore familiar with how things have been done up to this point.
To guide users through the changes, the ABCB has developed a range of supporting material, which will be released in stages leading up to the release of the NCC 2022 Public Comment Draft (PCD) on 10 May 2021.
The first stage of supporting materials are being released (see below), which cover NCC 2022’s:
- Roadmap to better building and plumbing outcomes
- New information architecture which enables a consistent volume structure.
- Improved clause referencing (numbering) system.
- Simplified clause structure.
- Features that improve accessibility and readability.
These changes are essential to ensure the NCC:
- Is easily digested and comprehended by users, encouraging greater adoption across industry. Higher rates of use and comprehension will help lift compliance and improve building outcomes.
- Can be converted into a range of digital formats, enabling features such as personalised filtering of content.
- Encourages digital innovation such as integration with commonly used industry software and digital systems.
- Facilitates contemporary education and training opportunities, incentivising new entrants to the building and plumbing industries to familiarise themselves with the NCC.
What will result is an NCC that is more usable and accessible to as many practitioners as possible, knowing that it will require some adjustment for those who have used it in its current form for many years.
The ABCB will be releasing a range of supporting material and useful resources prior to the NCC 2022 PCD. To ensure that you are kept up to date with these important changes please ensure you are subscribed to ‘ABCB Connect’ in your NCC profile.
